It is prime time for viewing wildflowers in the Pine Ridge and Nebraska Game and Parks Commission staff members are inviting the public to an informational hike through the colorful countryside. Commission biologist Shelley Steffl and park naturalist Jami Campbell will lead the hike in the Mexican Canyon area of Fort Robinson State Park on Saturday, June 7. Participants will meet at the Post Playhouse at 9:30 a.m. and form a convoy to the site of the morning hike. Participants …
Read More »Deadline Nearing for Crop Stubble Incentives
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is reminding landowners that they have until June 1 to enroll in a program that pays for keeping wheat and milo stubble tall during this year’s harvest. Last year, the Nebraska Environmental Trust awarded $1.5 million to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission to enroll tall wheat and milo stubble into the Crop Stubble Management, Wildlife and Water Conservation Program over three years. This is the second year of the grant. The program is …
Read More »Panhandle Passages: Dreaming of a White … Mother’s Day
My friends, family and other followers know that I try to post one nature photo each weekday to Facebook and Twitter. It’s a fun exercise, and I’m sometimes surprised to discover which photos generate the most reaction among friends on followers on social media. It seems some photos that get the best response take the least amount of work. Others, of which I’ve forged an emotional attachment because of their technical difficulty or the hike and planning involved to get …
Read More »Panhandle Parks Gearing Up for Free Entry Day
Many of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s attractions in the Panhandle are planning special activities for Free Park Entry and Fishing Day on Saturday, May 17. Free Park Entry and Fishing Day is an annual event in which the Commission allows fishing and entry to parks without requiring permits. It provides an opportunity for people to experience the state’s diverse park areas and fishing resources free of charge. Following is a list of special activities at the region’s State …
Read More »Prescribed burns planned in the Panhandle
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission officials have scheduled prescribed burns on Wildlife Management Areas in Scotts Bluff and Morrill counties in the coming weeks. A 200-acre burn at the Cedar Canyon Wildlife Management Area southwest of Gering may begin as early as Tuesday and Wednesday, April 15-16, if conditions are favorable. Other properties with approved burn plans may follow. They are the Arnold Trupp WMA north of Bayard and the Nine Mile Creek WMA southeast of Lake Minatare State Recreation …
Read More »Panhandle Passages: Taking Root
Every little bit helps, and every little bit has a way of turning into a big bit. Such is the case with the Boy Scouts’ annual tree planting event at Fort Robinson State Park, which I enjoyed photographing Saturday. The process of getting hundreds of scouts and volunteers into the field to plant ponderosa pine seedlings in the yearly reforestation effort has been honed to near perfection and is a sight to see. It was a bittersweet day, though, for …
Read More »Final Trees Planted in 25-year Project at Fort Robinson
All the roots have been planted for a northwestern Nebraska reforestation program. Now, the project has been turned over to Mother Nature. About 1,400 members of the Boy Scouts of the Longs Peak Council and other volunteers planted 10,500 trees at Fort Robinson State Park on Saturday, the final chapter of an annual effort to reforest areas burned in a massive 1989 wildfire. The planting marked the 25th and final year for the event. The planters were greeted with seasonably …
Read More »A License to Feed
Readers have long been sending us photos of their outdoors-themed personalized license plates for publication. As people have a fondness of their vehicles, they also take pride in the government-issued items that identify their chosen rides. If you’re like me, your hoarder instincts kick in when it comes time to get a new set of license plates and find a place for the old ones. Thankfully, I’ve found a way to save those plates and help wildlife while I’m at …
Read More »Panhandle Passages: Soldier Creek Runs Through It
Some of western Nebraska’s most enjoyable fishing can be found at the ponds on the 22,000 acres of Fort Robinson State Park. Count me among the anglers who have long enjoyed dropping a line at the Carter P. Johnson Lake, Ice House Ponds and Grabel Ponds. Whether from the bank, through the ice, or atop kayaks and jon boats, the ponds serve as a great fishing destination. The scenery is great and the whopper largemouth bass and other species are …
Read More »Panhandle Passages: Chopper Time
From the rocky buttes of the Wildcat Hills near Gering to the evergreen-studded canyons near Bassett, a helicopter crew put in time for Nebraska’s big game conservation efforts during the past week and month. I’ve been fortunate to be up close and personal with some of their air time. Last week, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission used the help of a contracted helicopter crew of California-based Native Range Capture Services to catch bighorn sheep and elk and provide the …
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